Character Creation
The Basics The first thing a new character needs is a race. Make sure to make note of any special abilities or changes that your character receives based on his race. Next decide your character's attributes. Attributes are numerical representations of your character's natural strengths and weaknesses. You'll need to assign a number to each of your character's core attributes. The pool for these numbers are 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, and 7. After choosing a race and allocating attributes, it's time to decide your character's name, age, and what they look like. Keep in mind that physical appearance may have an impact on how other characters treat your character. These basics for your character are not necessarily represented with modifiers to your character's stats. Backstory After the basics are decided, it's time to think about the character's backstory. Think about possible motivations your character might have in life, and what lead them to that point. Also think about where they were born, and what skills they learned early in life. Perhaps your character's father was a blacksmith, and that skill has been passed on to him. Or, maybe your character was brought up in a monastery, and has significant religious knowledge. "Does it start at 0 or 1?" - Keep in mind a few things any time your character selects skills. All General skills count as having 1 rank in them at character creation. Therefore, putting a single point into a general skill raises it to 2. This is so characters completely untrained in a skill, can still attempt to make a roll. All Professional skills start at 0; this is because without training in a profession, there is no chance of success. All Magic skills start at 0, because magic needs special training or talent. Finally, all Weapon skills start at 1, because it is reasonable to assume that even an untrained character can swing the sharp end of a sword at an enemy. To represent a character's backstory, distribute 5 points among any General and Professional skills as you see fit. Remember that these represent your character's early life. You will receive more points to spend later, to represent what your character is doing currently. Additionally, select a General or Professional skill that your character is especially talented in. You do not necessarily need to assign points into this skill; as the talent could be latent and has yet to be discovered. Your special talent allows one full reroll, per day, of the selected skill. Make note of which skill you have selected to be especially talented in, for future reference. Next, decide if your character was born with a natural talent for magic. You may place 1 point into your magic skill of choice. Alternatively, if your character has not yet discovered if they have an aptitude for magic, place 1 point in any weapon skill, or 2 points in the brawling skill, to represent their more physical approach to problem solving. Goals Every character should have a reason to live; something they want to accomplish in life. Maybe they desire to be wealthy, or seek fame and glory as a dragon slayer. Yet, these objectives may feel empty without giving your character a proper motivation. Do they want to be wealthy to serve themselves, or is it for a more noble cause, such as bringing prosperity to their home village? Why does your character lust for dragon blood? Maybe their family was killed by a rampaging Rikothri, and they have sworn revenge. To represent your character's goals, distribute either an additional 5 points into General and Professional skills, and two points among Magic and Weapon skills. These can be different than the skills your character learned in early life, or they can be the same if he has decided to reinforce and practice those things. Next, in possibly the most important step, you need to establish your character's core values. Think about, over everything else, what motivates your character. This is his core value. A character is not limited by his core value, but it should be taken into consideration when the character makes choices. Select one from the list below. Leadership: Your character has a strong sense of leadership, and is motivated to earn the trust of others. Validation: Your character desires to be noticed by others, and to be admired for his abilities. He jumps at the chance to prove his worth and always strives to advance beyond the mundane. Often, someone telling him he cannot do something only motivates him to accomplish it. He takes joy in proving himself right. Power: Your character is motivated by his desire to advance in strength. Fearlessness: Your character seizes every opportunity that comes their way, if for nothing else, so they do not regret passing it up later. Stability: Your character is concerned primarily for the safety and security of himself and those around him. He is not a risk taker, and seldom steps foot outside his comfort zone. He will take the path of least resistance, or do what is easy, if it means maintaining the status quo. He sticks to what he knows will work, and is slow to change. Indulgence: Your character fights to enjoy the pleasures of life. Happiness: Your character lives to bring joy to himself or others. He works hard if he knows it will mean he can afford to do the things he likes. Relationships Now it's time to decide how your character handles relationships. You may take into account his Presence score, but he is not necessarily limited by it. This is also the time to think about the character's family and friends prior to the current adventure. Think of a few nicknames that your character may have earned in his life. Perhaps he even has a nickname for himself that he wants to catch on. Challenges Every character has obstacles to overcome, both in their personality and in order to achieve their goals. Think of a time in your character's life that he either overcame a difficult obstacle, or a time where he failed to achieve his goals. What were those consequences of those actions? Does he boast about a great accomplishment? Does he lament and regret his failings? Starting Gear It is assumed your character begins his adventure with at least the clothes on his back and a small amount of money. You may save your starting money for later, or use it to purchase gear before setting out on your first adventure. To determine your starting money, roll 1d100. The number you roll is your starting money, in silver. Take a look at the Gear page to determine how to spend it.